I took this photo, used on the back cover of Yoga Rahasya, in my garden in New York.

Painting and photo © 2011 Bobby Clennell

Vol. 19 No. 3; 2011. Photo © 2011 Bobby Clennell

At the Yoga Sanctuary’s new premises in Punta Gorda, Florida, I taught my second summer workshop, beginning on Friday evening, August 11, with a class for breast cancer patients and survivors.

Another, smaller, heritage building. This one is in the Punta Gorda History Park.

Pelicans at the Peace River Wildlife Santuary, Punta Gorda

On Saturday, we moved to the Punta Gorda Women’s Club, a ‘heritage’ building next door for the menopause and post menopause workshop, as the class was too big for the Yoga Santuary. I have taught (and continue to teach) this workshop around the world, and it’s always interesting to see how this subject plays out among women in the various regions and countries. Despite the drug companies bombardment with products to make menopause ‘go away’, women are very much open to taking charge of themselves using natural methods and learning how to navigate through any disturbances brought on by hormonal shifts during this transition with yoga.

Supported Paryankasana

Pushing up into Urdhva Danurasana

Curving the dorsal spine around the front of a chair

Sunday was backbends, which are always a joy to teach. The workshop built up from the base; we looked at all of the components of a good back bend. Strong arms and legs definitely help if you are going to be pushing up from the floor — but there are other ways of achieving a back bend. In this workshop, we came to an understanding that we need to bend more from the upper (dorsal) spine and less from the lower (lumbar) spine. As these pictures show, variations of Paryankasana strongly featured in this workshop, as well as using chairs to curve over. I have been featuring these poses over the last twelve months or so in all my back bend workshops for women.

Here is my Viparita Dandasana demo, with chair and block. The key to a good pose is the extension through the legs and heels

Urdhva Danurasana with blocks under hands

Cooling down

Raffles Hotel

Many thanks to Sandrine Laborde for hosting me, and to the students who made me feel so welcome at Iyengar Yoga Singapore in June. Teaching this three- day workshop gave me a window into the harmonious and multi cultural society of Singapore, which is made up of equal parts Chinese, Indian and Malayan ethnicities. I taught a mix of women’s yoga and general classes. Wherever you are in the world, if you are an Iyengar yoga studio, there is a common language and shared aspirations. But despite the familiar environment (similar props, ropes, the Patanjali chant) the students here were particularly warm and receptive making this a unique and special experience for me.

Sandrine's studio overlooks the Singapore River

Third from left in back row, Sandrine Loborde.

Teaching for Yoga At ZEA my hosts, Edison Tan Choon Tian, Anita Frisk and Zoe Kok took me to their city Kuala Lumpur, and took me to their hearts. The workshop was well attended, at times we had over 45 students in a class. Four of the students on this workshop flew in from Australia, and two more from Taiwan. I think these pictures speak for themselves. The students were irrepressible and fun bubbled over continually during the classes. They were a joy to teach; equal parts intense focus and laughter, the students were hungry for knowledge and paid strict attention, but the atmosphere was also upbeat.

Pre-Natal Yoga.

Many books were signed…

Front row, Edison Tan Choon Tian, Zoe Kok, and Anita Frisk, founding members of Yoga at ZEA

Anita Frisk, Edison Tan Choon Tian, Bobby Clennell, and Zoe Kok

Photos from Kuala Lumpur © Yoga at ZEA. All rights reserved.

Curl up small like a mouse?

Or stretch your leg like a cat?

Can you push up into a wheel?

Or fold up like a sandwich?

Rest

Photos by Liam Cunningham. Billy Cunningham photography.

This is Lucienne Vidah, one of the twenty -three teachers at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of Greater New York. She is wearing the new limited edition tee-shirt that I designed to commemorate the up-coming Yogathon being held at the Institute on Sunday June 5th. The drawings of B.K.S. Iyengar practicing were extrapolated from one of the sequences in my animated short Yantra. From Sirsasana, Guruji drops back into Viparita Dandasana, and then effortlessly moves into Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana.

I spent the next weekend teaching a workshop for The Dublin Iyengar Yoga Institute. I flew from UK to the romantic city of Dublin on the day of the Royal wedding. The day before, I had watched the people of Swanage putting up flags and decorations and getting ready for street parties. I taught a mix of women’s classes and general classes. Here, I signed a lot of The Women’s Yoga Book.The students and teachers were warm and welcoming, a joy to teach and really a lot of fun. I have been invited back to teach next year!

The following weekend, I taught in Sweden. Way up in the north, nestling in the pine forests in the little town of Piteå, is the Iyengar Yoga House (Inengar Yogaskolan). The building which was originally an old church has been beautifully renovated by Iyengar yoga teacher, Kristin Berglund and her husband Erik. Here I also taught a three-day workshop. I taught four classes on women’s health and two general classes. It was wonderful to have three sets of mothers and their daughters in the class. Like Iyengar students anywhere in the world, they were hospitable, focused and eager to learn. I feel grateful to be a part of this international Iyengar Yoga community. I’m happy to say that I have been invited back to teach next spring.

Hand-made halasana box heaven.

Kristina Berlund on the right there.

Here are the first two. The first corresponded with Annual day — sometimes known as Institute day – and the second with Hanuman Jayanti. The third will come out later this year on Guru Purnima, and the forth on Patanjali Jayanti.

“Yoga Rahasya” refers to the wisdom of yoga, or ‘the secret knowledge of yoga’. The aim of Yoga Rahasya is to share the essence of Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar’s teachings. It contains original articles and transcripts of talks by B.K.S.Iyengar, as well as Geeta and Prashant Iyengar on philosophy, psychology, science and the art of yoga and life. This journal also includes articles by his students, practical details on the practice of asanas and information on treating chronic ailments through yoga.

WHO MAKES IT: Yoga Rahasya is produced exclusively by volunteers. Rajvi Mehta, a student of B.K.S. Iyengar since 1979 has been editing it since its inception in 1994.

WHO CAN SUBSCRIBE:  Yoga Rahasya is a scholarly tool for serious students rather than just a general interest magazine. It is open to all irrespective of whether they are teachers or students of Iyengar Yoga.

HOW TO GET IT: The most complete info on how to obtain it is on bksiyengar.com. From the menu bar at the top of the page, select ‘References’ then ‘Yoga Rahasya’. On the lower right corner there is a link for ‘subscription form’ Once completed, the site then directs the subscriber to print the form and send it along with the subscription fee (twenty five U.S dollars/four issues per year) to the relevant organization in their home country. Part of the annual dues that teachers in the U.S. pay includes twenty- five dollars for the annual subscription.

Within the next couple of months, there will a link on the IYNAUS store page where people can subscribe directly. (However, one can subscribe by just sending the $25.00 to IYNAUS at 1952 First Avenue South, Suite 1B, Seattle, WA 98134, and noting that they wish to subscribe). The yoga community in India and the U.S. is pretty low tech, so unfortunately the renewal process isn’t automatic – at least not yet. People need to re-subscribe each year.

HOW IT GETS SENT OUT FROM INDIA: Representatives in many countries (mainly nominated by the Associations) collect the subscriptions on Yoga Rahasya’s behalf.   They then inform Yoga Rahasya in Pune and the issues are mailed out from India. Generally subscriptions are taken for a calendar year. For example, even if one were to subscribe in July they still receive all the four issues for that year. Each country has its own policy for collecting the payment from the subscribers.

Single copies may be purchased through the various associations world- wide. IYNAUS purchases a few copies of every issue and directly sells them. Also, there are back issues available for purchase from The Store (link on IYNAUS website)

COMPILATIONS:  There are 5 sets of compilations: YR -A from 1994 to 1996, YR – B from 1997 to 1998, YR –C  from1999 to 2000 and YR – D  from 2001 to 2002 as well as YR – THERAPY. These are available through IYNAUS and of course at RIMYI, Pune or at Iyengar Yogashraya, Mumbai. Single copies of issues published after 2003 are for sale provided they are in stock. The ‘representatives’ from the various associations around the worlds are periodically informed about the stock status of the back issue before they collect any payment for them.